Research Scientist

About the role

Site: The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

A research laboratory within the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Cardiovascular Medicine is seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join a growing, interdisciplinary team. The lab uses both in vitro (human ESC/iPSC) and in vivo (zebrafish) systems to model cardiovascular disorders and integrates transcriptional, (epi)genetic, metabolic, and phenotypic profiling at whole-organism, tissue, and single-cell levels. Our goal is to define the earliest molecular events driving disease onset, characterize their dynamic changes over time, and identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

The Research Scientist will lead and directly perform automated, high-throughput microscopy screens to identify small-molecule compounds with improved efficacy over current clinical therapies. The role will also focus on blood biomarker discovery with a focus on translational biology and clinical development strategy.

The role will involve hands-on execution of complex imaging workflows and the application of machine-learning approaches to large-scale imaging and phenotyping datasets. In addition, the Research Scientist will serve as the primary scientific point person for multiple industry collaborations, coordinating experimental design, execution, data generation, and communication between external partners and the lab.

The Research Scientist will independently drive scientific projects, determine research direction in collaboration with the PI, and serve as an internal expert in automated imaging and computational analysis. The successful candidate will generate high-quality data, contribute substantially to scientific publications, mentor junior staff, engage with collaborators, and may participate in the development of external funding applications.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide overall scientific leadership and project management for assigned research initiatives, including direct execution of experimental work.
• Design, optimize, and perform high-throughput automated imaging and screening assays, including day-to-day hands-on operation of imaging platforms and related instruments.
• Design, optimize, and perform complex biomarker discovery protocols utilizing human whole blood and urine samples. Integrate translational biology data such as genetics, proteomics, clinical phenotypic data, and biobank resources.
• Conduct complex and innovative experiments using in vitro (human ESC/iPSC) and in vivo (zebrafish) models; troubleshoot technical challenges and refine protocols as needed.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert while actively generating data, maintaining experimental quality, and ensuring reproducibility.
• Exercise professional judgment in selecting experimental strategies, technologies, and analytical methods to obtain high-quality results.
• Make project-level decisions to address and resolve critical scientific or technical challenges.
• Regularly present results to the PI and contribute to preparation of manuscripts, reports, and presentations.
• Collaborate with external partners as the scientific point person for industry-funded projects, ensuring high-quality and timely experimental deliverables.
• Maintain an active publication record as senior author or substantial contributor, demonstrating scientific independence.
• Participate in relevant scientific societies, committees, and professional activities.
• Train and mentor junior research staff in laboratory techniques, data analysis approaches, and best practices in research execution.
• Contribute to long-term strategic planning for the laboratory’s research direction, technologies, and collaborative projects.

Qualifications

• PhD in molecular biology, molecular genetics, or a closely related field required.
• Prior experience with biomarker and drug discovery research is required.
• Prior experience using zebrafish as a model organism is preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant research experience, including demonstrated independence.

Skills/ Abilities/ Competencies Required

• Strong expertise and technical proficiency in molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics.
• Demonstrated experience using model organisms (preferably zebrafish) for high-throughput drug or modifier screens.
• Proven ability to design, execute, and troubleshoot complex research projects.
• Ability to define project objectives, develop experimental approaches, and interpret results.
• Strong scientific writing skills with a record of impactful contributions to peer-reviewed publications.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team.
• Additional Job Details (if applicable)
• The salary for this job ranges from: 60,000-96,000
• Remote Type
• Onsite
• Work Location
• 60 Fenwood Road
• Scheduled Weekly Hours
• 40
• Employee Type
• Regular
• Work Shift
• Day (United States of America)